


Tupelo High School

by Monkeyface2022



Category: Taylor Swift (Musician), evermore - Taylor Swift (Album), folklore - Taylor Swift (Album)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, High School
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29407350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monkeyface2022/pseuds/Monkeyface2022
Summary: Follow the charachters of Taylor Swift’s evermore and folklore as they navigate high school and beyond.
Relationships: Dorothea/OC, betty/james, james/august
Kudos: 3





	1. 1 - Betty

Betty wakes up for another day at Tupelo high school. She quickly showers and gets dressed pairing light wash jeans with a simple shirt and her cardigan. She had grown very attached to the sweater over the past year, rarely going a week without wearing it. In it she felt protected and safe. Plus, it covered the scars. Not physical scars, but emotional ones. Betty's home life was never tragic, but it was far from perfect. Her stepmother resented the fact that her father loved another woman before her, and her father seemed to see her as just another mouth to feed. Needless to say, she had trust issues and she never really felt at home or accepted. 

After getting dressed, she raced down the stairs and ate a granola bar while she waited for her best friend, Dorothea, to pick her up. Soon enough, she heard a honk echo and she grabbed her book sack and ran to the car. Dorothea greated Betty with a smile as always. "Did you hear?" Dorothea asked Betty "What?" Betty responded. "James and Clara broke up." Dorothea informed. This caused a blush to rise on Betty's cheeks. Though she had never admitted it to her out loud, Dorothea knew that Betty had always had a crush on James. I mean who wouldn't, Betty thought to herself. Still, this didn't mean Betty had any chance with James. He was perfect, and Betty was just Betty. James was popular, and while Betty was popular enough, she wasn't Clara or Lauren (two of the most popular girls at Tupelo who also happened to be Jame's exes)

Betty roamed the halls searching for Inez to clarify if what Dorothea told her in the car was true. Betty and Inez were close, childhood friends. And even though, Dorothea was by far her best friend, Inez and her were friendly and Betty trusted her immensely. (Even if she was known for spreading "false" rumors, most of which turned out to be true) Betty finally spotted her and ran up to tap her shoulder. "Is it true?" Betty questioned. "Is what true?" Inez said laughing at the urgency and desperation in Betty's voice. "You know what?" Betty said sternly. And the truth was, Inez did know. In fact, Inez was the only person who Betty had vocally informed of her crush on James. But like the good friend Inez was, she kept the secret (for once). "It's true" Inez said before darting into her classroom.

Betty had a lot of classes with James, including first period US history. She entered the classroom and immediately noticed James. She wasn't sure what initially sparked her crush on him, but her heart couldn't help but flutter every time she saw him. Her teacher began rambling on about some project and partners, but Betty's mind was traveling a thousand miles a minute. 'He broke up with Clara' she thought. 'That means he's available', 'that means I have a shot'. She was pulled out of her thought when her teacher announced "Betty and James." 'What?' She thought to herself. James stood up and sat at the desk next to hers. "Guess we're partners?" He says so casually. "Guess so," Betty replies having absolutely no idea what the project was about. James hands her a slip of paper with a phone number written on it. Her heart can't help but skip a beat. "For the project," he said before returning to his seat. 

Betty couldn't focus for the rest of the day. The paper slip with Jame's number written on it felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket. She would have already typed it in her phone if she wasn't so scared of breaking rules. At lunch she zoned out, not hearing a word of Dorothea and her girlfriend Maria's conversation. Her classes sped by and when Dorothea dropped her off at home Betty immediately created a contact for James in her phone. She wondered when and what to text him. She decided she would wait till after dinner that way she didn't seem too urgent. She quickly finished her homework and ate her dinner before settling down in her room. She opened her phone and sent the text

B: Hey, it's Betty from history. I'm gonna be honest I was completely zoning out when Mr. Stair was talking about the project, but just let me know what I need to do or if we need to meet up or whatever.

She reread the message about a zillion times before hitting send, yet once she saw the delivered message she felt awkward and scolded herself for not coming up with something better. Nonetheless, he replied a few minutes later,

J: haha I understand not listening to Stair. The project is a simple timeline of events leading up to the revolutionary war. It's due Monday, but it should be pretty easy. I'm free Saturday if you want to meet up then.

Betty may have stopped breathing when she read the message. After a minute or so, she decided on a response.

B: Saturday works. Mine or yours?

J: mine is fine. 2:00?

B: works for me.


	2. 2 - Dorothea

'Fuck this town' was the first thought that crossed Dorothea's mind as she drove to pick up her best friend Betty for school. She had seen the signs in people's yards before, but every day they tended to increase in number. "God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" they read. If it wasn't obvious, Dorothea really, really hated being gay in Mississippi. She wasn't out and for good reason. Obviously, Betty knew and it would be a little strange for her girlfriend Maria to not know, but other than that she hadn't told a soul. 

Dorothea was your classic girly girl. She loved makeup, dresses, and skirts. This came in handy in keeping her secret. No one, especially not her parents, expected the semi-popular, straight A, girly student to be a lesbian. But alas, here she was. When she pulled up to Betty's house she checked her phone and saw a text from Maria.

M: bleachers. 7:30.

Dorothea smiled. The bleachers was where Maria first met Dorothea freshmen year of high school. Dorothea and Betty had gotten into a fight and not wanting to eat lunch with her, she retreated to the bleachers. Maria was there in her black jeans and blue sweatshirt. Maria consoled Dorothea and they became friends. Over time their friendship grew into something more. Of course, neither of them were out, so to everyone else it seemed they were just good friends. Underneath the bleachers is where they forgot about everyone else. It's where they could truly be themselves.

After arriving to school, Dorothea headed to there spot and found Maria waiting. She sat down next to her and clasped their hands together. Maria began ranting about her stupid mother and how her little brother stole her waffle, but Dorothea wasn't paying much attention. She was content to just stare into Maria's eyes. "What?" Maria finally asked after Dorothea didn't respond. "It's nothing." She finally said. "I can tell when something's bothering you," Maria raised an eyebrow at her. "I just wish I could hold your hand like this in public," she finally said. No more words were exchanged between the two girls. They both wished things were different, but they knew this was how it had to be. They parted with a quick kiss before heading to class.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Class after class until it was finally time to head home. It was a Friday so she and Maria were planning to hang out that night. Her parents and brother would be out, so they could finally have some alone time. She dropped Betty off at her house then drove home and changed into some more comfortable clothes.

Maria arrived around 6:00 pm. They ordered pizza and found a stupid romcom to watch while they talked about nothing and everything. They joked about how the movie made straight romances seem so complicated and stressful. "At least they can go out in public" Dorothea joked. Maria gave her a small smile. "You know I love you," Maria said not as a question but a statement. "I love you too." Maria leaned in for a kiss and Dorothea responded. Just as she was about to deepen the kiss the door flung open, and there stood her twin brother Matt with a shocked look on his face. "Dor," he said using the nickname Dorothea hated, "what the hell?"

Dorothea was shocked. How could she be so stupid? "Shit, shit, shit," she muttered under her breath. "I'll let you guys talk," Maria said grabbing her things. She whispered "you got this, I love you" in Dorothea's ear before walking out the front door. It was silent for a while. Dorothea spoke first. "You can't tell mom and dad" she whispered silently. Matt just sat there. "Please, they'll kick me out." She continued. A tear fell down her face. 

After a long silence Matt uttered "Why didn't you tell me? I get keeping it from mom and dad, but I thought—I thought you trusted me." He was obviously offended. Dorothea thought for a moment. Honestly, she didn't know why she kept the secret from Matt. "I don't know." She finally said as more tears fell down her face. "Hey," Matt said while wiping the tears from her face, "you're my sister. I love you. Nothing will ever change that." He always had a gift for making Dorothea feel better. She hugged him. She knew it was pathetic. Siblings are supposed to bicker and fight, but with Matt she just felt safe and accepted. Trying to lighten the mood Matt joked, "Just tell that Maria girl that if she hurts you, I won't hesitate to beat up a girl." Dorothea laughed and smiled. It was good to have an ally in the house, she decided.


	3. James

James woke up at 12pm on Saturday a little hungover from his friend Ethan's party the night before. He quickly swigged some water and got dressed before slowly making his way downstairs. He made a sandwich and scrolled through various social media apps as the time passed. He saw a text from Betty asking if they were still on to do the project today and he responded with a yes and his address. James was a simple guy. He played basketball, had some close friends, decent family life. He was just happy, something most teenagers couldn't say. Sure sometimes he hated all the attention at school and wished he could blend into the background, but in all honesty he liked being popular. 

Betty arrived promptly at 2:04pm but James had his suspicions she had been waiting in the car for at least 10 minutes. Betty was always early to class. If Betty had known that he noticed these things, she may have passed out. They quickly got to work on their project, and made small talk. "Do you play any sports?" James asked. "No. I like art and I'm more focused on my studies." She responded. Great they have nothing in common. "Well what's your favorite tv show?" He asked trying to find similarities. "New girl." She stated avoiding eye contact and remaining focused on the project. It wasn't his favorite show, but James decided he'd seen enough episodes to spark a conversation. "That's cool. I've seen a few episodes. I think Schmidt was my favorite. You?" At this Betty peeled her eyes away from the project and glared at him. "You're joking right?" She said. His eyes wandered around the room avoiding her harsh stare. He tried to respond but all that came out was "ummm" Betty, not breaking her stare, then said "there is no way in hell you think Schmidt is better than Nick." He laughed and so did she. She then began rambling about all the reasons Nick was better and from there the conversation continued like they were close friends.

They continued on with the project gluing pictures and writing words on the poster board. At one point, their hands reached for the picture depicting the Boston Massacre at the same time and they briefly touched hands. James couldn't ignore the butterflies that filled his stomach. He quickly scolded himself for thinking like that. I mean he broke up with Clara like 3 days ago. Granted, James didn't think he laughed with Clara as much in their 3 month relationship as he had this past hour with Betty. Plus, Betty wasn't the type of girl he normally dated. But maybe that was a good thing. He quickly discarded those thoughts as they continued to work. 

When they had finished their last event on the timeline, they cleaned everything up. Betty said she would call her stepmom to come pick her up (since she didn't have a license), but James offered to drive her. As he grabbed his keys and walked out the door he noticed Betty was wearing her signature cardigan. This wasn't the first time he had seen her wear it. Today she had it paired with a white tank top and jean shorts. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. He started to wonder why she wore the cardigan so often. It was hot in Mississippi about 10/12 months, but even in the blazing March sun she had her cardigan tied around her waist. He decided it was his mission to figure it out.

They drove with the radio playing in the background. They discussed wether or not they liked the songs and artists and discovered their music tastes were very different. When he pulled up to her house and she opened the passenger door, James spoke. He said "this was fun. I know it was for school, but maybe we could hang out sometime." He noticed Betty's cheeks turn a shade of pink. "You have my number." She said before closing the door and darting into the house.

James drove back home and his mind couldn't help but wander to Betty. Why hadn't they spoken before. I mean they had gone to the same school for 3 years, and he just now noticed her. I mean sure he noticed her in classes before and always thought she was pretty, but after today he realized what a good person she was. He wanted to text her so desperately, but he didn't want to sound like a creep. He relaxed when he heard his phone ping with a message from Betty.

B: thought you would need to read this.

Attached was a link to an article as to why Nick was the superior new girl character. James chuckled to himself. He thought for a second then responded

J: I don't read. Bookworm.

He hoped he had made Betty laugh. They continued texting and before James realized it, it was time for dinner. As he ate he thought to himself, maybe Betty and him could turn into something beautiful.


	4. Betty

It had been two weeks since Betty and James worked together on their history project. The pair had been texting nonstop, and people, especially Dorothea, noticed how James smiled at Betty in the hallways now. Betty was driving with Dorothea to the mall one day when they finally addressed it out loud. "Soooooo....what's going on with you and James?" Dorothea pestered her best friend. "Well we just text sometimes I don't know." Betty said trying too obviously to hide her blush. "Come on Bethany, you don't have to hide anything from me." Dorothea continued nagging. "Okay, okay," Betty said giggling, "we've been talking a lot and I mean I had a crush on him before but now I think I really like him. He's so sweet and nothing like I expected him to be." A huge grin spread across her face. Betty turned to see Dorothea was smiling too. "Well I hope it all works out." Her friend assured her.

They continued to drive with Dorothea's musical theatre playlist providing background noise. It was Dorothea who broke the silence again . "I've been hiding something from you too." She said. Betty looked confused. Dorothea didn't give her the chance to answer. Instead she just continued saying, "I told Matt. About me and Maria, I mean. Well I didn't really tell him...he sort of walked in on us. But any who that's beside the point because he knows." She finished her rambling and Betty could finally respond. "I'm happy for you. I know how much you wanted to tell him." She said. Dorothea only smiled at her. They rode the rest of the way to the mall just belting out musicals and laughing happily. At the mall Betty got a text from James

J: Hey, what are you doing?

B: at the mall with Dorothea

J: You busy tonight?

B: no, why

J: I thought we could see a movie or something idk

Betty's heart practically leaped out of her chest. Was he asking her on a date? She showed the messages to Dorothea squealing asking what to respond. The best friend snatched the phone out of Betty's hands and replied

B: pick me up at 7?

J: Definitely.

When they got home from the mall Betty straightened her hair, put on some light makeup, and got dressed. After changing about 50 times she decided on her white jeans and a cute grey top with her cardigan layered over it all. She asked Dorothea for approval and even face timed Inez to see what she thought. Inez went on and on about how amazing she looked, but Betty noticed a hint of sadness in her eyes. When Betty tried to address it, Inez brushed it away and hung up. 

7:00pm couldn't come soon enough. Dorothea had left at 6:30 leaving Betty there to pull on the sleeves of her sweater and stare wishfully at the clock. At 7:02 there was a knock at the door. She heard her stepmother yell from upstairs "Betty are you expecting someone?" Betty rolled her eyes and said "yeah I'm going out Helen." Helen came down the stairs and practically raced Betty to the door. I guess she wanted to seem like she actually cared about Betty and her friends. James was there on her doorstep in jeans and a blue shirt. He took Betty's breath away. "Good evening. You're here for Betty?" Helen asked. Betty didn't know if James could see her rolling her eyes from where she was standing. "Yes ma'am." He said. Betty walked past Helen. "Bye, be back later." She said to Helen before walking to meet James. 

The car ride was awkward. "So umm your mom seems nice." James said breaking the silence. "She's not my mom." Betty said. There was a pause. "Nice probably isn't the best word to describe her either." James looked confused but got up the courage to ask "what do you mean?" Betty looked straight ahead not risking eye contact. "She's fine and all. It's just she pretends that I don't exist and on the rare occasion my dad does something nice for me, she gets all mad that I'm getting the attention." Betty said but quickly scolded herself for letting her walls come crumbling down so easily. "Sorry. Didn't mean to be a downer." She said when James didn't respond. "I'm sorry you have to go through that." James finally said and Betty felt his words were sincere. They didn't speak for the rest of the car ride. 

When they got to the theatre they debated over which movie to see. They settled on what looked to be another cheesy romance movie. Once in the theatre James bought them popcorn and drinks and they took their seats. Throughout the movie they whispered comments about which characters they liked and disliked, they threw popcorn at each other, and they laughed. To anyone else in the theatre it would have looked like they were a couple. Near the end of the movie James hand slipped into Betty's and rested there. Betty felt like doing a backflip she was so happy. 

When the movie ended they walked back to his car. They discussed their thoughts on the plot as he drove to a sonic to get them milkshakes so they could sit and talk for a while longer. James finally got the courage to ask the question that had been nagging him. "What's with the cardigan?" He asked Betty. Her cheeks turned a bright pink and her smile faded a bit. "I don't really know. I guess I feel like it protects me. When I have it on it's like I'm invincible. That probably sounds stupid." She said smiling shyly. "I don't think anything you say sounds stupid." He says before leaning slightly across the center console. Betty knew what he was trying to do and she didn't know how to contain her emotions. She leaned in too and he closed the space between them. Betty could only describe the moment as pure bliss. She went to sleep that night with a big smile on her face.


End file.
